The time limit is ending soon (1/28) for the USDA’s proposed taking over of the term “Naturally Grown” which is already certified by the long standing small farmer based organization Naturally Grown. I just got this in from a source within the USDA:
From: ***@usda.gov
To: Walter Jeffries
Date: January 22, 2008
X-Spam-Status: No, score=-4.0
I apologize for the delayed response. For some reason, Outlook was putting your emails in a junk mail folder rather than my inbox. I finally discovered them randomly. Typically, dairy and eggs are not considered “by-products;” however, they are mammalian and avian protein sources so we are waiting to make a final rule regarding this issue after the close of the comment period based on what the information we receive in the comments. Thanks and again I apologize for the delayed response.
-Anonymous USDA Source
The question I had asked was:
To: ***@usda.gov
From: Walter Jeffries
Date: Tuesday, January 15, 2008
On the other question, under the proposed Naturally Raised claim are dairy and eggs allowed for swine?
The USDA’s proposed “Naturally Raised” regulation says:
The feeding of mammalian or avian by-products is prohibited. Livestock cannot be fed rations that include components that are mammalian or avian derived.
-eDocket.access.gpo.gov
The reason that this is an issue is eggs and dairy, in the form of cheese, whey, milk, yogurt are all excellent food for pigs. Dairy is also an excellent food for chickens. The BSE scare, caused by feed companies grinding up dead cows to feed to other cows, is probably what cause the overly broad wording in the proposed regulation. This is a typical of example of the baby being thrown out with the bath water and why the government needs feedback from real small farmers and not just Big Ag.
Go to this page to leave comments. As I write this almost 600 people have left comments. Apparently the USDA is still listening so speak up now while we have some chance of affecting change.
Bonus Points:
Ask your friends, your family and your blog readers to give feedback too. With many voices we can shake the walls that threaten to confine us.
The feed issue is but one part of the problem with the regulations which also fail to address animals access to pasture and natural living conditions. If we don’t stop this regulation as written the Confinement Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs a.k.a. Factory Farms) will be able to use the term “Naturally Raised” and “Naturally Grown” while small farmers are banned once gain from describing how they farm. It’s Certified Organic all over again.
To read the previous posts about this issue see here and here.
Can anyone tell me why www.libertyark.net is down and why it is taking so long for them to get back online?
I have been distributing glossy tri-fold flyers purchased from them last summer over the last 2 weeks.
Now I discover you can’t even access their website.
What is up with that?
Comment Valerie — January 24, 2008 @ 12:21 am
The Hand of God?
Sharon
Comment Henwhisperer — January 24, 2008 @ 8:24 am
ouch!
Comment Sue F — January 24, 2008 @ 12:44 pm
The servers that host the Liberty Ark site died. New servers have arrived. The site should be back up within a few days, possibly as soon as tomorrow.
Comment Judith — January 24, 2008 @ 1:37 pm
Regarding what is “natural food” for animals. I’ve never seen a cow eat anything other than vegatative matter, that is cows that are allowed to pursue their food in a normal cow kind of way and not subject to feed lot fattening , plastic pellets and “protein enhanced” diets etc. Happy Cow = Herbivore
Mad Cow = omnivore / carnivore
Chickens and pigs are more like us…omnivores…I know I’m stating the obvious but it doesn’t take a PHD to figure out what they eat…wonder why the USDA is having such a hard time figuring that out.
I supplement my chickens feed with table scraps, but no chicken parts…
I’m not sure but I’m thinking that whole mad cow thing and not eating from the same species might be a genetic adaptation to ensure we don’t eat our own kind…
Therefore in the interest of mankind I vow to stop eating people. :)
Interesting about the no mammalian or avian derived food…does that mean I should buy cows a fishing pole so they can procure their “enhanced protein” diets ? If so, will the cows require a fishing license?
…more regulation, just what we don’t need!
Comment Bob Constantine — January 25, 2008 @ 7:15 am
Bob, I believe the cows are all set for fishing in NH as long as they are under the age of 18.
Chickens do eat other birds. I’ve seen mine shred a hapless baby bird before I could make the rescue.
I do give my chickens leftovers. I do boil up older excess eggs and feed them back. I will let them pick a carcass of a dinner chicken that has been raised here. I don’t let them have left over KFC not that it happens much. Most leftover meats of any sort are polished off by the dog or cats long before the chickens get it. I get all the slightly outdated milk from work I want. It hits the dumpster otherwise. The chickens love a bowl of milk with their stale organic bread. When the rare container of cottage cheese or sour cream comes along they go nuts. Kind of like me with a soup bowl full of ice cream. :)
I wrote a comment and so did my daughter.
Comment Sue F — January 25, 2008 @ 9:14 am